Something Great Starts Tomorrow

My friend and fantastic author Jeannie Ralston has most generously decided that Samantha's Purpose will be the recipient of her seed campaign funds for the month of June (please visit www.jeannieralston.com and www.samanthas-purpose.org for more information).  For every copy of Jeannie's book The Unlikely Lavender Queen purchased on Amazon, Jeannie will contribute part of her commission to Samantha's Purpose.  How great is that!  You get to read a great book and support a wonderful cause at the same time! You can find links to both websites below.

A Lovely Flower Garden

Take a look at these wonderful ponytail holders.  You can find more at www.allaboutsofi.net

The Cutest Mini Journals

I don't know about you but I love to buy notepads.  The lovelier the better.  This weekend I picked up the cutest set of four mini journals by Jill Bliss.  It makes taking notes to jotting down grocery lists all the more fun.  

Room 6

Excellent site with super cute eco friendly products. Special things for nice people.

www.room6.com

How To Choose Happiness With Words

Happy Sunday!  I hope wherever you are you are staying dry, it is a wet weekend here in Texas.  I came across a wonderful article that I decided needed to be shared.  How do you choose to be happy?  Does what other people say to you affect your level of happiness?  Read it and share your thoughts.  As always I love to read what you have to say.

How To Choose Happiness With Words

This guest post was written by Tehseen, the author of Recharge Your Mind.

Happiness is simply a state of mind.  No, I’m not implying that we can instantly heal the pain of a severe or unexpected personal tragedy just by thinking about being happy.  Rather, I am referring to our levels of happiness on routine days when things in our lives are close to normal.  In these neutral times, when we are neither ecstatic nor extremely sad, the slightest change in attitude can swing our happiness balance drastically in either a positive or negative direction. One of the primary factors that affect our attitude is our choice of words.

Words have a lot of power and influence on both the speaker and the listener.  When we speak we sometimes unintentionally choose words that have a negative undertone.  This can make us seem unhappy (and negative) in the eyes of others.  Even worse, after we have spoken these words our unconscious mind starts believing in them.  “If this is what came out of my mouth, it must be the way I truly feel.”

However, this is not always true.  The first fleeting words that come to mind are not necessarily the most accurate representation of our feelings and intentions.  We must realize that we have the power to choose the words we use, and if we pick them carefully, they can change the way we feel.

Here are three typical scenarios where positive language can inject positivity and happiness into our lives.

Inject Happiness into Casual Communication

Typically, when I ask someone “How are you?” they reply, “I’m fine” or “I’m okay.”  But one lazy Monday afternoon last month a new colleague of mine replied, “Oh, I am fabulous!”  It made me smile, so I asked him what was making him feel so fabulous and he said, “I’m healthy, my family is healthy, and we live in a free country.  So I don’t have any reason not to be happy.”  The difference was simply his attitude and his choice of words.  He wasn’t necessarily any better off than anyone else, but he seemed twenty times happier.

It really struck a chord with me.  Suddenly I realized that I have a choice.  I can either say “the glass is half empty” or “the glass is half full.”  Why not rejoice in the fact that, thankfully, I don’t have anything to be terribly upset about.

So now when someone asks me how I am doing, I say “I’m doing wonderful!” or “Everything is awesome!” or something similar that reflects a positive, happy mood.  Since I’ve made a regular habit of doing this, multiple friends and acquaintances have noticed a positive change in my attitude.  And I do genuinely feel happier.  Also, it seems like the people around me are smiling more now too.  So I guess it’s contagious.

Keep Friendly Discussions Friendly

We’ve all been involved in friendly discussions that turn into heated arguments.  This usually results in a complete breakdown of productive communication.  The reason for this is simple.  When people get into heated arguments they get unhappy, and unhappy people are not productive.  More often than not these arguments transpire due to our choice of words rather than our point of views. If communicated peacefully and appropriately people usually tolerate each other’s perspectives pretty well.  Hence, it’s very important to choose our words wisely even when we strongly disagree with someone.

• Instead of telling the other person “You always…” try saying “Sometimes you…”.
• Instead of saying “That’s not true,” try saying “I don’t think I completely understand your point of view.”
• Instead of telling your friend “I don’t want to go to that bar,” you can say “Oh, we can go to that bar too if you want, but I would rather…”

Using words that make the other person feel negated always creates negativity in conversations.  On the other hand, choosing words that assure the listeners that their perspectives are being respected drastically improves the chances of getting your point across without heating things up.

Wendell Johnson once said:

Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.

Maintain a Hopeful Outlook

When we are talking or thinking about ourselves we are typically the least careful with our choice of words.  We assume that there are no restrictions on what to say or how to think about our own person.  In some situations this might be true, but the positivity or negativity of our words and thoughts still affect us.

For example, there is a huge difference between saying “I wish I have a house that big someday” versus “It would be great to have a house that big someday.”  The latter gives a greater sense of possibility and confidence which allows us to believe that ‘yes’ it is possible and ‘yes’ it could happen one day.  Whereas, using words like ‘I wish’ makes it seem unreachable and impossible, which generally leads to feelings of discontentment.

Conclusion

These are just some simple examples that illustrate how important it is to choose and use positive words.  Remember, our words transparently coincide with our mindset.  Positive language creates a healthy balance between our mind and our heart.

Tehseen Baweja writes about creativity, productivity and personal growth.  If you are looking for some tips, check out his blog atRechargeYourMind.com.

How Wonderful!

Earlier today I posted about Toni, a wonderful gal living in Australia who is conducting the most extraordinary project called a little me.  Tonight I discovered that she was nice enough to mention me in her blog post about her project.  Thanks Toni!  You can read about it by visiting her blog at http://moderndaypioneers.blogspot.com or simply scroll down the page...there is a link to her blog below.

Being Really Nice

Thursday has arrived, hope today finds you in high spirits and enjoying life!  I follow various blogs daily but one stands out from the rest...it is called Operation Nice (scroll down and you will see the button to this blog).  Melissa who writes this blog talks about what people can do in order to simply be nice.  Doesn't seem like a hard thing to do but in today's world it is harder than we might think.  Today Melissa posted something extraordinary.  There is a woman in Australia who has decided to share a little bit of herself with the world by simply being nice.  She has promised to send everyone who emails her a little gift with no strings attached...REALLY!! This is her way of just being nice.  What a fantastic way to spread a little love around the world. Please check out Operation Nice and there you will find all the information you need.  What would you do to be "really nice"  any ideas?  

Samantha's Purpose

This Sunday morning I ask all of you to take a look at a website for an organization that is very near and dear to me, Samantha's Purpose. Samantha is the daughter of a friend of mine and once you read her story I am sure your heart will be touched as much as mine has been.  I remind you to be grateful for all the miracles in your life.

The website is  www.samanthaspurpose.org

The Invitation Shack

Happy Saturday everyone!  Just a note with something great to share. My childhood friends Sareska and Ariadna have a super cute online stationary shop that you must check out. It is called The Invitation Shack and they carry all sorts of wonderful things. Pay them a visit, I guarantee you will see something you love. Scroll down to my favorites and you will find a link to their shop. ENJOY!

The Price of Being Nice

Happy Friday to all!  Hope the work week hasn't treated you too badly. May the weekend ahead find you with family and friends.  Today I am asking what does it cost someone to simply be nice? I read a blog daily called Operation Nice (if you scroll down you'll see it on the right side of my blog) which is totally dedicated to promoting niceness.  It gives me a fresh, daily perspective on what it means to be a nice person and the benefits one receives for being such.  How wonderful to read about niceness in a world full of so much hate and spite.  In my daily comings and goings I make a conscious effort to smile (even when I don't feel like it) and say maybe one or two nice words to someone.  By giving a compliment we can make someone's day while making our own at the same time.  The best part of nice is the price....it is FREE!!  Imagine making someone's day for FREE!!! Now I challenge you all...be nice, it won't cost you a thing.

When do you say goodbye for good?

People come in and out of our lives for many reasons.  Sometimes by personal choice and other times by no choice at all.  With the popularity of online social networking on the rise at an alarming pace, more and more people are getting back in touch with each other.  I for one find the Facebook phenomenon fascinating. I have reconnected with so many old friends and even with some who I thought I would never call "friend" again. With this on my mind, I now pose some questions. When do you say goodbye for good? What do you gain by opening up your life for the world to see?  Is it ok to let someone into your life that you once shut out?  Come on people..I need answers.

The Unlikely Lavender Queen

The Unlikely Lavender Queen is a book by a very talented author named Jeannie Ralston.  It is a memoir about her experience moving to the Texas Hill Country just outside of Austin from the metropolis that is New York City.  After moving to Blanco Texas, Jeannie and her husband set about into converting their property into the first of many lavender farms that now dot the area. I don't know if it is my love of lavender or how I can totally relate to Jeannie's experience about moving from a big city to the Texas Hill Country (I am a transplant from Miami), but I think that this book is spectacular.  I wish everyone would read it!  You will laugh, cry and maybe even see a little of yourself in Jeannie's experience. Jeannie rocks!  She is donating proceeds from all purchases of her book made through Amazon.com to a different charity each month.  

Great Little Shopper Bag

This Reisenthel Shopper bag is my absolute favorite.  It is lightweight and folds up tiny so you can carry it in virtually any purse. What a cute way to go green!  

Mother's Day

To all the moms out there I wish the most special of days.  Be grateful for the wonderful gift of your children.  Enjoy today to the fullest!   Be happy!  

The Deal Maker (or breaker)

Have you ever wondered how your actions affect other people?  Could your attitude towards someone be the maker or breaker of that person's day?  I'll be honest, I never gave this much thought until recently.  I woke up one morning feeling terrible, everything bothered me...I mean everything!  Even my coffee had a bitter taste.  I carried this "bitter" attitude with me everywhere that day and guess what...everyone I came into contact with seemed "bitter" too. This just added fuel to my fire and made me feel even worse.  Later that day after quenching my mental and physical exhaustion with one (ok maybe 2) glasses of wine...I had an epiphany. Were all those people really being nasty?  Could everyone feel as lousy as I did that day? Impossible!  It was me!  I was making it happen!  What I encountered that day was a reflection of what I felt.  Attitude adjustment was needed on my part. I decided I wanted to see what I project to others and what I want to see is a smile.  Did I make a complete turnaround you ask?  The answer is no but I do turn around and check my attitude before I walk out the door and I definitely look in the mirror and make sure I'm wearing a smile.

How Do Your Honor Your Mom?

With Mother's day just a couple of days away I pose a question...How do you honor your mom? I would love to read what you have to say.  Leave a comment or post away. 

I Love These Bracelets

These bracelets are by Italian designer Carolina Bucci. They are absolutely gorgeous. They are definitely on my wish list.

How Do You Go Green?

Like most people I am making an effort to Go Green.  I have made little changes in my everyday life to reflect my desire to keep the Earth a clean and wonderful place.  My first step was buying reusable grocery bags, next came the Earth friendly household cleaners and finally clean burning soy based candles.  Although these minor steps make me feel a little better about what I'm doing for the environment, they are making a major dent in my wallet.  Going green takes some serious GREEN!   This being said, I now pose a few questions to you all....How do you go green?  Is being environmentally aware costing you BIG BUCKS?  

The Verdict

After giving it much thought and reading bits of advice and very useful suggestions (thanks Amy) I have decided against purchasing the hoodie.  My decision is final!

To be or not to be....Juicy

Do I need a black velour Juicy Couture hoody?  

DO I?  What if it's on sale...40% off.  Am I convinced? It will be over 100 degrees in Texas in just a few weeks....but it is on sale. CONVINCE ME....PLEEEEEASE!

It is on my iphone

I got it!  Pretty in Plaid is now on my iphone thanks to the fantastic Kindle application from Amazon.  This app rocks!  

Pretty in Plaid

A MUST READ!!!!  People this book will rock.  Jen Lancaster is genius...run to the bookstore in the morning and grab it while its hot. Those with an iphone...download the Kindle application and get it in less than two hours (this is what I did).  

I cannot wait to start this book!

Visit Jen's website www.jennsylvania.com